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Police welcome community aid in shooting case

Columbia police are continuing to interview possible witnesses and follow leads they hope will take them to the gunman who shot a mother in the back of the head over the weekend.

Columbia Police Capt. Kenny Brady said about 1 p.m. Tuesday that 28-year-old Michelle Grooms Talavera was listed in “critical, unstable condition” at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She was found lying in the street in the 900 block of Woodland Street about 2 a.m. Sunday, according to a police press release.

News Channel 5 reported that Talavera was not the intended target of gunfire shot into a crowd of people standing outside a nightclub. Several witnesses have been interviewed by police, but no arrests have been made, the news station reported.

Brian Goats, the detective assigned to the case, said the case shifted to a potential murder investigation as Talavera’s condition worsened. He said Tuesday he was glad to see clues pour in from various sources, and he hopes one of those tips will be the clue police need to arrest the person responsible for the shooting.

“It’s a crime where I think the community is reaching out,” he said Tuesday. “They want to see a resolution to this case, so we’ve had a lot of calls come in.”

Goats urged anybody with information about what happened Sunday morning to call the police, even if their information seems insignificant.

“… Let us determine the importance of it, because you never know what significance a small detail could have in a case like this,” he said.

Goats said it’s believed that several people witnessed the shooting, but police have not officially released any more details about the ongoing investigation.

The shooting involving Talavera marks the second time since March somebody has been killed or seriously injured in the 900 block of Woodland Street. James Harrison, 42, was found bleeding and unresponsive in the street about 3 a.m. March 17.

He was pronounced dead three days later, and 31-year-old Java Laishun Blue was arrested and charged with his murder. A jury trial for his pending case is set to begin Aug. 20.

Police are asking for anyone with information to call (931) 380-2721. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the S.A.F.E. Tip Line at (931) 380-2930 or email SafeTips@columbiatn.com.